A fertility expert suggests why you need to practice yoga while trying to conceive

Yoga is essential to maintain a balance between your mind and body. It can help you de-stress during your fertility treatment as well. Fertility treatments can often be emotionally and financially demanding. Yoga is a practical and positive self-care tool that you can use during this time.

Stress and a delay in conceiving have a complex relationship. Difficulty in conceiving can cause stress and stress, in turn, can result in couples finding it difficult to conceive. The link between fertility and stress is not yet fully understood—however it is known that cortisol (also known as the stress hormone) can interfere with ovulation and thereby the release of the egg from the ovary. It is a vicious cycle and it is very important that we break this cycle. There are many ways that couples are advised to relax, and one of them is Yoga.

The benefits of yoga when it comes to fertility 

According to a study from Harvard Medical School, the incidence of anxiety and depression in women who have trouble conceiving is similar to those of patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses. Even if the couple is not diagnosed as subfertile i.e. with problems in conceiving—sometimes they can feel the entire process of targeting the fertile period quite overwhelming and find the physiology of conception beyond their control and this can lead to them feeling anxious.

Lower stress levels and having a positive mindset and outlook can increase the odds that fertility treatments will work. Yoga is really good for patients who are highly anxious, and fertility patients tend to be anxious. A lot of these patients are angry with their bodies for not doing what they want. Yoga gets them back in touch with their bodies.

Yoga offers an effective tool for reducing stress and anxiety. It increases blood flow and improves circulation. When your body relaxes, your mind calms down. The associated deep breathing helps your nervous system lower stress hormones like cortisol, which can negatively impact reproductive outcomes. It’s absolutely imperative to nourish emotional and mental health when trying to conceive. Yoga gives you the time and space to do this.

In addition to the stress-relieving benefits that aid conception, yoga strengthens and tones the body, boosts blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, reduces inflammation in the body, helps better breathing, increases flexibility, balances metabolism, increases libido, reduces low mood, and makes you feel more in control.

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What couples should know when choosing yoga asanas

When advising yoga we do counsel the couples to avoid physically demanding forms such as ashtanga and power yoga if they are undergoing fertility treatments. Hatha, Iyengar, Yin, or restorative yoga are gentle practices that can be opted for. Having said this, yoga is not a silver bullet or a magic potion it can only be your companion while you seek medical help to help you relax, de-stress and sail through the treatment process, it is not a substitute for medical treatments.